May 08, 2018

Hello














Progress through technology (19th century)

H-words

  • Catch each other’s attention

    • Hey, Ho: 13th century
    • Hi: 15th century
    • Hollo, Hillo, Holla, Halloo: 16th century
         Shouts used in hunting
  • Greetings

    • Hal: Be healthy
    • Hail: 13th century

Hello

  • Spelling Difference
    • Hallo, Hello, Hillo, Hollo, Hullo
         Stress was on the second syllable,
      difficult to hear the quality of the first vowel.

    • Google Ngram Viewer

How Hello became Popular

Bell & Edison

Hello Girls

Hi

  • USA: 19th century
  • Widely spread
  • Replace Hello?

    • Common in Email
    • Easier to type than 'Hello'

Disinterested














A confusible (17th century)

Interest (名詞)

  • 15th Century

    • 擁有權
      have an interest in an estate
    • 股份
      hold an interest in a company
    • 好處、利益
      It’s in your interest to vote for me
  • 17th Century: 興趣、嗜好

Interested (形容詞)

Dis- vs. Un-

  • Dis- only

    • Discontent vs. Uncontent
  • Un- only

    • Discomfortable vs. Uncomfortable


  • Dis- & Un- with different meanings

    • Disterested vs. Uninterested
  • Dis- & Un- with overlapping meanings

    • Disterested vs. Uninterested

History: Disinterested vs. Uninterested

  • 1750: Meanings completely overlap

Modern: Disinterested vs. Uninterested

  • Uninterested: bored, unconcerned

  • Disinterested: impartial, bored('incorrect', Oxford)

Dragsman














Thieves’ cant (19th century)

A Dictionary of the Slang and Cant Languages

  • George Andrewes, 1809
  • (Hope to) Make it easier to detect crimes

Dragsman

  • Drag (18th 世紀): Horse-drawn wagon
  • Dragsman
    • 車夫
    • one who stole goods or luggage from vehicles

Cant Languages still used today

  • footpad: one who robs pedestrians
  • water-pad: One who robs ships
  • coiner: 偽造貨幣者

臺灣黑話

  • 吃土豆 (閩南語)?

  • 食品藥物管理署: 毒品相關術語

毒品術語 (使用)

毒品術語 (交易)